Nashville has a cable access show called Music City Shakedown that gives bands the opportunity to lip sync to their own music and, basically, act a fool. The performances are intentionallyridiculous. So, it's awesomely perfect that Tipper Whore recently performed Two Sticks for an episode - complete with marshmallow microphone, bad green screen, dancing entourage and a plethora of outfits. It's a great fit for them.
Really been enjoying digging into the work of Matt Naylor. His official site has plenty of great illustrations to see but he's also got an awesome amount of work on Dribbble - so spend time with both. His style is simple but not without a fine attention to detail. Not an easy balance to accomplish but one that he's accomplishing on every piece I see.
I have spoken of my enjoyment of the works of Jonathan Visger's ABSOFACTO endeavor. I am, decidedly, a fan. He's recently released a new track - Mobius Strip (thru My Fingers) - and it's as enjoyable as anything he's done previously. I'm still on the fence about the band tactic of releasing music as it wraps itself up or releasing it in album groupings but I suppose there is no correct way, only personal preference. Fortunately for us, a new single track may not be much to familiarize yourself with but it's enjoyable listen and a reminder to revisit the depth of the catalog.
I know next to nothing of the Australian music scene - with a few stereotypicalexceptions - so it was enlightening to encounter The Warmest 100, an inline music player of the "web's most accurate prediction of Australia's popular music countdown - Triple J's Hottest 100." Okay, so that doesn't really mean a whole lot to me either but the site is excellently designed and entertaining to browse. And any sort of easy breezy music discovery mechanism is A-OK by me.
The blog will resume regular postings sometime next week - I'm off on a multi-day roadtrip on my way up to NYC. I'm excited by the prospect of something new on the horizon but certainly will miss my family and all my friends in Nashville. It's a great place to visit but, honestly, it's a phenomenal place to live. It has most of the amenities of any large city but it's not so overwhelming that you couldn't take on any project you wanted to with at least some level of success. What I'm saying is, it's kind of a small pond but not so small that it's crushing. This is both it's greatest attribute and it's biggest downfall. Not to be too cheesy but Nashville will always be my home.
Alright, enough with the personal stuff. I'll resume regular postings soon soon enough! In the meantime, read this
101 Best Written TV Series list and catch up on anything you haven't seen yet (plenty I'm sure).
I've been wanting to see The Bitter Buddha - a documentary on comedian Eddie Pepitone - for some time. So, it was a great treat when we had the opportunity to distribute it directly from the filmmaker, Steven Feinartz. It has appearances by a lot of his peers - Marc Maron, Patton Oswalt, Zach Galifianakas, Sarah Silverman, etc. etc. etc. - that all seem to respect him greatly but also freely razz him while discussing. It's informative and funny.
Yesterday, the video for Pokey LaFarge's new single "Central Time" premiered on RollingStone. This is worthy of note because A) the video is a solidly entertaining watch and B) it was directed by Jo McCaughey & Rachel Briggs - two talented folk who, obviously, work quite well together. I hope to see more videos directed by the likes of them.
Typically, I'm not a huge fan of entirely digital compositions as fine art. It feels like cheating. However, sometimes it's done so well that you can't deny the skill and imagination involved. Such is the case with Jim Kazanjian and his crazy collaged home constructions. Occasionally it goes too far for my personal taste but most of the time it's incredibly engaging to pore over.
I can't really pick a favorite image, or even a favorite set of images, from the portfolio of Cameron Wittig. However, I can say that I've had a copy of "Vantage Point" from his personal set on my fridge for the past 5 years - it never gets old to me. There is a wholelot to love throughout... so give it a thorough immersion.
As far as movies go, The Kings of Summer looks to be a better than average coming-of-age comedy. As far as movie sites go, it's pretty unbelievably excellent. The overall assets for the film are solid, the responsive grid presentation is perfect and the Tumblr integration is brilliant. Not to mention all the great animated gifs overwhelming the page. So, yea, take note - this is great work.
It's hard to believe but the next time I post a Friday Videos collection I'll be residing in Brooklyn. Scary and exciting. But that's further down the line - here's this weeks playlist - Enjoy!
Prancercise: A Fitness Workout - Initially you're going to watch this and laugh at Joanna Rohrback's absurd horse prancing workout routine. Then, as you stay transfixed on it, you'll realize that she's kind of having a blast and there's no reason to mock her. She's got it all figured out.
Giorgio Moroder on Living in the Future - hearing Moroder talk about his life is fascinating but pair it with Erica Gorociao animation and Upright T-Rex sound design and you've got an awesome combo. Will post more about this when the whole series is done I am sure.
Doggie Dentist - there's something very calming about this lion and dog friendship. via Jed.
A Good Week for Disco Goth - KK pointed me towards this most excellent compilation of goth dancers set to disco music. What more could you ask for?
More greatness in the usual spot if you're still searching for entertainment.
